Elementary and Secondary School Planning Committee April 5, 2011 Prayer: Dr. Rosemary Henry Words of Welcome: Carol Kostyniak Participants are listed below with the strand each worked on. 4 strands: Creating and Building Relationships Jennifer Millson, Nardin Academy Denis Coakley, St. Peter School Timothy Fitgerald, Canisius High School Anne Wojick, St. Joseph University Heights Strengthening Current Programs for Mutual Benefits Ruth Frost, Nativity of Our Lord School Becky Krantz, St. Mary’s High School Joan Thomas, Holy Angels Academy Dee Oakes, South Buffalo Catholic, Trinity Catholic Academy Forging New Partnerships to Create K-12 and K-16 Models Dan Ryan, St. Mark’s School Dawn Riggie, Mount St. Mary’s Academy Tom Sullivan, Bishop Timon St. Jude High School Judi Nolan Powell, Niagara Catholic High School Developing a Plan to Vision for the Future Bill Fleckenstein, St. Margaret School Laura Kazmierczak, South Buffalo Catholic, Ambrose Catholic Academy Matt Ciurczak, Cardinal O’Hara High School Father Art Smith, St. Mary of the Lake School Each group spent 1 hour working on its strand. A summary of each discussion follows. Strand 1: Creating and Building Relationships Prioritize Information and Ideas (Goals) from the March 15 meeting: Strengthened communications regarding curriculum Design Specific Strategies: Start a monthly town meeting by discipline (subject). Involve department chairs, elementary teacher (one subject a month) Principals meet before hand to set ground rules. Look for consistency and cooperation. Set up electronic communication (wiki, shared e-mails) to share curriculum maps and best practices. How can elementary principals communicate high school events? Design Specific Action Plans to Support the Strategies: Find a central (neutral) location to handle group Start with ELA or Math. Design Time Line: Start in October to have principals lay out groundwork for monthly meetings. Identify Persons Responsible to Implement Action Plans: Principals will make sure that meetings run well and the information is shared out. Principals will divide out the subjects so that each high school hosts one subject and manages the meetings. Identify Accountability Measurements / Assessments: Attendance at the articulation meetings Increased use of electronic communication between schools High school teachers share out at their school. Look at minutes Identify Potential Benefits: More sharing of best practices Strand 2: Strengthening Current Programs for Mutual Benefits Prioritize Information and Ideas (Goals) from the March 15 meeting: Develop standard expectations k – 12 for each curriculum area. Investigate summer school programs. Do research on non-core subject areas (study skills, instrumental music) Investigate innovative year-round schooling. Market schools in a different light. Design Specific Strategies: Designate a specific high school or elementary schools to coordinate meetings with a specific curriculum – e.g., St. Mary’s High School, St. Mary’s Elementary and Our Lady of Pompeii for foreign language Form a k-12 committee to investigate summer school program and investigate grants to fund the program. Form an executive program committee composed of 6 people (3 elementary, 3 high school, add other members if needed) for overseeing operation of programs k-12. Design Specific Action Plans to Support the Strategies: Form a committee to develop common placement exam for Foreign Language and math for high schools. Communicate expectations to middle school teachers. Design Time Line: Begin this summer – July 2011 and work through the next 3 – 5 years Identify Persons Responsible to Implement Action Plans: 6 person committee: 3 elementary and 3 high school representatives with a Diocesan ad hoc mentor Identify Accountability Measurements / Assessments: Set a goal for enrollment increase – 1% each year for 5 years Better transition and performance for 8th graders when they take the high school placement exam Higher Regents grades Higher NYS assessment scores Identify Potential Benefits: Increased collaboration K-12 Open communication Innovative programming Sharing of resources Student benefits Increased student achievement Strand 3: Forging New Partnerships to Create K-12 and K-16 Models Prioritize Information and Ideas (Goals) from the March 15 meeting: Providing a mechanism for regular feedback on communication – high school to elementary school. Provide a template for easy reporting of information. Engage colleges. Colleges are already engaged in alumni relationships and fundraising – schedule in-services for advancement directors. Take advantage of college faculty research and expertise. Use student internships at elementary and high schools. Engage Catholic Health Systems. Strengthen curriculum. Students are successful in advancing in Foreign Language and Math – look to Biology. Share faculties across schools. Share transportation costs. Design Specific Strategies: (Still working on this area) Design Specific Action Plans to Support the Strategies: (Still working on this area) Design Time Line: Curriculum design – elementary schools need to hear how graduates are doing (effectiveness of teaching) Collect data and disseminate Identify Persons Responsible to Implement Action Plans: Catholic Center Identify champions to help with each issue. Identify Accountability Measurements / Assessments: (Still working on this area) Identify Potential Benefits: (Still working on this area) Strand 4: Developing a Plan to Vision for the Future Prioritize Information and Ideas (Goals) from the March 15 meeting: Study demographics – study data Data is constantly changing Design Specific Strategies: Request specific data from the diocese What is data telling us? – what community looks like, where it is headed Learn from other dioceses Develop new model prototype Develop a vision – services for larger community – not just pre-k – 8 or pre-k – 12. Design Specific Action Plans to Support the Strategies: Study the roots of Catholic Education in the Diocese of Buffalo to see how we built a successful system of education in the past Mold Catholic education to fit the needs of our changing families How can we create something brand new using the best of what we have? Generations of Faith – model – educate parents / adults at the same time as the children? Create various service offerings – school system with adult education after school and evenings - kids and parents learning together Design Time Line: (Strand 4 ran out of time) Identify Persons Responsible to Implement Action Plans: Identify Accountability Measurements / Assessments: Identify Potential Benefits: Following the 4 groups’ presentations, Dr. Henry recognized the many challenges and suggestions. What are next steps?
Form an executive committee? – have one committee for all 4 strands? This was the consensus of the group.
Sharing today’s meeting – send to broader group – have a real strategic planning session to look at possibilities (broader group participating)
Current strategic plan – recommendations will address high schools as to partnerships with middle schools – academic component
Dr. Henry shared this information on the strategic planning going on now:
2 strategic planning groups going on – Meitler – with 8 pillars
Second strategic planning to include all ministries in the diocese
Possible next steps:
look at data to see where we are –
have overall governing body reconvene this committee to decide who might be on executive committee – assign functions – consider about going back to look at the data to see where we are – forge partnerships, create relationships, work on curriculum
Share data on high school placement exams with elementary schools – where are strengths, weaknesses and move forward
Involve everyone for buy-in – get information in – circulate info – get feedback for better communication
Smaller groups drive communication – include more
Be committed – this is an obligation, responsibility, honor to work on extending, furthering Catholic education
Involve more – wiki, blog
Makeup of executive committee:
include a wide sampling of schools: large, small, affluent, less affluent – represent a broader type of school (no more than 8 people)
Include vocal, critical people
Next steps – ex committee needs roles, duties, expectations and tasks Dr. Henry will propose committee members Continue consistent dialog with all principals Start with the end in mind – use data to tell us some of the questions What current programs could be strengthened? Data will unravel questions and committees. Identify the specific data needed so we can get it to committee Test scores Scatter maps, etc. Report out: evaluation of meeting: (sample responses) Glad we are all at the same table Encouraging that the 4 groups are in agreement No shortage of conversation – hungry to share Encouraging that we are willing to face the future for Catholic education Applaud Dr. Henry on group management – giving us questions and a format to follow Very encouraging – common goal – what is best for Catholic education We had very thoughtful discussions – to the benefit of all of us working after a long day at work thinking about hard topics Respectfully submitted April 6, 2011 Pat Trimper
April 5, 2011
Prayer: Dr. Rosemary Henry
Words of Welcome: Carol Kostyniak
Participants are listed below with the strand each worked on.
4 strands:
Creating and Building Relationships
Jennifer Millson, Nardin Academy
Denis Coakley, St. Peter School
Timothy Fitgerald, Canisius High School
Anne Wojick, St. Joseph University Heights
Strengthening Current Programs for Mutual Benefits
Ruth Frost, Nativity of Our Lord School
Becky Krantz, St. Mary’s High School
Joan Thomas, Holy Angels Academy
Dee Oakes, South Buffalo Catholic, Trinity Catholic Academy
Forging New Partnerships to Create K-12 and K-16 Models
Dan Ryan, St. Mark’s School
Dawn Riggie, Mount St. Mary’s Academy
Tom Sullivan, Bishop Timon St. Jude High School
Judi Nolan Powell, Niagara Catholic High School
Developing a Plan to Vision for the Future
Bill Fleckenstein, St. Margaret School
Laura Kazmierczak, South Buffalo Catholic, Ambrose Catholic Academy
Matt Ciurczak, Cardinal O’Hara High School
Father Art Smith, St. Mary of the Lake School
Each group spent 1 hour working on its strand. A summary of each discussion follows.
Strand 1: Creating and Building Relationships
Prioritize Information and Ideas (Goals) from the March 15 meeting:
Strengthened communications regarding curriculum
Design Specific Strategies:
Start a monthly town meeting by discipline (subject).
Involve department chairs, elementary teacher (one subject a month)
Principals meet before hand to set ground rules.
Look for consistency and cooperation.
Set up electronic communication (wiki, shared e-mails) to share curriculum maps and best practices.
How can elementary principals communicate high school events?
Design Specific Action Plans to Support the Strategies:
Find a central (neutral) location to handle group
Start with ELA or Math.
Design Time Line:
Start in October to have principals lay out groundwork for monthly meetings.
Identify Persons Responsible to Implement Action Plans:
Principals will make sure that meetings run well and the information is shared out.
Principals will divide out the subjects so that each high school hosts one subject and manages the meetings.
Identify Accountability Measurements / Assessments:
Attendance at the articulation meetings
Increased use of electronic communication between schools
High school teachers share out at their school.
Look at minutes
Identify Potential Benefits:
More sharing of best practices
Strand 2: Strengthening Current Programs for Mutual Benefits
Prioritize Information and Ideas (Goals) from the March 15 meeting:
Develop standard expectations k – 12 for each curriculum area.
Investigate summer school programs.
Do research on non-core subject areas (study skills, instrumental music)
Investigate innovative year-round schooling.
Market schools in a different light.
Design Specific Strategies:
Designate a specific high school or elementary schools to coordinate meetings with a specific curriculum – e.g., St. Mary’s High School, St. Mary’s Elementary and Our Lady of Pompeii for foreign language
Form a k-12 committee to investigate summer school program and investigate grants to fund the program.
Form an executive program committee composed of 6 people (3 elementary, 3 high school, add other members if needed) for overseeing operation of programs k-12.
Design Specific Action Plans to Support the Strategies:
Form a committee to develop common placement exam for Foreign Language and math for high schools.
Communicate expectations to middle school teachers.
Design Time Line:
Begin this summer – July 2011 and work through the next 3 – 5 years
Identify Persons Responsible to Implement Action Plans:
6 person committee: 3 elementary and 3 high school representatives with a Diocesan ad hoc mentor
Identify Accountability Measurements / Assessments:
Set a goal for enrollment increase – 1% each year for 5 years
Better transition and performance for 8th graders when they take the high school placement exam
Higher Regents grades
Higher NYS assessment scores
Identify Potential Benefits:
Increased collaboration K-12
Open communication
Innovative programming
Sharing of resources
Student benefits
Increased student achievement
Strand 3: Forging New Partnerships to Create K-12 and K-16 Models
Prioritize Information and Ideas (Goals) from the March 15 meeting:
Providing a mechanism for regular feedback on communication – high school to elementary school.
Provide a template for easy reporting of information.
Engage colleges.
Colleges are already engaged in alumni relationships and fundraising – schedule in-services for advancement directors.
Take advantage of college faculty research and expertise.
Use student internships at elementary and high schools.
Engage Catholic Health Systems.
Strengthen curriculum.
Students are successful in advancing in Foreign Language and Math – look to Biology.
Share faculties across schools.
Share transportation costs.
Design Specific Strategies:
(Still working on this area)
Design Specific Action Plans to Support the Strategies:
(Still working on this area)
Design Time Line:
Curriculum design – elementary schools need to hear how graduates are doing (effectiveness of teaching)
Collect data and disseminate
Identify Persons Responsible to Implement Action Plans:
Catholic Center
Identify champions to help with each issue.
Identify Accountability Measurements / Assessments:
(Still working on this area)
Identify Potential Benefits:
(Still working on this area)
Strand 4: Developing a Plan to Vision for the Future
Prioritize Information and Ideas (Goals) from the March 15 meeting:
Study demographics – study data
Data is constantly changing
Design Specific Strategies:
Request specific data from the diocese
What is data telling us? – what community looks like, where it is headed
Learn from other dioceses
Develop new model prototype
Develop a vision – services for larger community – not just pre-k – 8 or pre-k – 12.
Design Specific Action Plans to Support the Strategies:
Study the roots of Catholic Education in the Diocese of Buffalo to see how we built a successful system of education in the past
Mold Catholic education to fit the needs of our changing families
How can we create something brand new using the best of what we have?
Generations of Faith – model – educate parents / adults at the same time as the children?
Create various service offerings – school system with adult education after school and evenings - kids and parents learning together
Design Time Line:
(Strand 4 ran out of time)
Identify Persons Responsible to Implement Action Plans:
Identify Accountability Measurements / Assessments:
Identify Potential Benefits:
Following the 4 groups’ presentations, Dr. Henry recognized the many challenges and suggestions.
What are next steps?
Dr. Henry shared this information on the strategic planning going on now:
Possible next steps:
- look at data to see where we are –
- have overall governing body reconvene this committee to decide who might be on executive committee – assign functions – consider about going back to look at the data to see where we are – forge partnerships, create relationships, work on curriculum
- Share data on high school placement exams with elementary schools – where are strengths, weaknesses and move forward
- Involve everyone for buy-in – get information in – circulate info – get feedback for better communication
- Smaller groups drive communication – include more
- Be committed – this is an obligation, responsibility, honor to work on extending, furthering Catholic education
- Involve more – wiki, blog
Makeup of executive committee:Next steps – ex committee needs roles, duties, expectations and tasks
Dr. Henry will propose committee members
Continue consistent dialog with all principals
Start with the end in mind – use data to tell us some of the questions
What current programs could be strengthened?
Data will unravel questions and committees.
Identify the specific data needed so we can get it to committee
Test scores
Scatter maps, etc.
Report out: evaluation of meeting: (sample responses)
Glad we are all at the same table
Encouraging that the 4 groups are in agreement
No shortage of conversation – hungry to share
Encouraging that we are willing to face the future for Catholic education
Applaud Dr. Henry on group management – giving us questions and a format to follow
Very encouraging – common goal – what is best for Catholic education
We had very thoughtful discussions – to the benefit of all of us working after a long day at work thinking about hard topics
Respectfully submitted April 6, 2011
Pat Trimper